Chaminade High School’s student-run newspaper, Tarmac, was recognized six times at the New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
The paper and its writers combined for six awards including third place in General Excellence, second and third place for Column, second place for Design, third place for Best Sports Story and an Honorable Mention in the same category.
Judges commended the staff’s commitment on thorough writing.
“I admire newspapers whose staffs are dedicated to the mission of their educational community, and so I was attracted to Tarmac,” judges said. “Paging though the publication, I was inspired to see this student newspaper dig deeper into the questions of life and what it means to give something back to the world.”
Dimitrios Donas, a junior, was recognized with a second- and third-place finish for Column on two of his opinion piece.
According to the paper’s website, Donas has written three articles regarding Afghanistan, racial inequality and social media’s effect on the First Amendment.
Judges said Donas delivered a well-developed argument after research that “demonstrates a grasp of the issues with plenty of evidence to support his conclusion.”
“I began to take great interest in current events during my sophomore year of high school. I felt that I had many nuanced opinions on numerous topics to share therefore, I was excited when I found out I could write opinion columns for Tarmac,” Donas said in a statement. “When I write, I try to form a strong argument with the goal of prompting my readers to consider my position, regardless of their preconceived notions. I hope that I can continue to contribute to civil discourse by pursuing some form of journalism during my college years.”
Nico Iacono, a senior, earned second-place honors for Best Sports Story about the Flyers soccer team completed a championship sweep across varsity, junior varsity and freshman levels.
“When I was asked to be a writer for Tarmac by my English teacher in freshman year, I didn’t have many expectations, but little did I know that journalism would become a true passion of mine,” Iacono said. “Receiving this award is truly an honor and a testament to my writing style’s evolution through invaluable experience and phenomenal instruction over the past four years. It is also a source of encouragement and confidence as I continue my studies in journalism, whether as a minor or contributing to The Observer at the University of Notre Dame.”
Dylan Grismer, a senior, received honorable mention in the same category for a profile on Head Varsity Football Coach Kevin Dolan. Judges said the piece was well-researched and spoke on faith which is something “some reporters are reluctant to address.”
“Writing for Tarmac has really allowed my love for writing to grow far beyond I ever could have imagined,” Grismer said. “When I joined the club, I knew I wanted to expand my passion for writing beyond the classroom and not only write about topics that interested me, but represent my school while doing so. It has allowed me to explore my passions and has strongly encouraged me to continue writing beyond my high school years.”
Tarmac has been providing students with news, feature stories and editorials since 1934. From 2014 to 2016, the newspaper was named Best Student Newspaper in the state.